In The Ruins Of War
by the-music-tree
Summary: Just a quick one shot. Comfort comes from someone that wouldn't be thought of in a million years.


7 Years Earlier

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><p>Hermione gently pushed forward the door to the Gryffindor common room which was hanging off its hinges, blown open by a spell. It was eerily silent in there, but she gasped to see the figure of a boy with his back to the door, quivering in the corner, his head in his hands. A shock of platinum blonde gave away his identity and Hermione checked to see that no-one else was in the room before going in. "Draco?" It felt weird using his real name, and not saying Malfoy with as much contempt as she could muster.<p>

But after the events of the past day it didn't seem right. She pitied him, expecting that he was feeling the worst he could possibly feel in that moment. At the sound of his name, he swiftly jerked his head up and turned around. On seeing Hermione's face he gasped and turned back. He muffled something unheard to Hermione, she was too shocked by the fact that on his pale face, mixed with his battle wounds, were streaks of tears falling heavily. He didn't make any sound as he cried, but his hunched over shaking body told her he was still in tears. She sat next to him on the sofa and watched him for a few minutes.

Any other day she would have laughed, found comfort in his misfortune, but when she'd seen the horrified, distraught look on his face when they'd all thought that Harry was dead, she could forgive him everything. And watching the muted discourse between him and his father betrayed to her just what he had been suffering from all these years. Bullying. That's all. Forced to go along with his father's wishes he had turned to the dark side, but it was evident from the way that he had killed no-one and had looked visibly upset at the death of Harry that he was truly on their side. "What do you want?" Draco muttered. "Come to gloat? The fallen prince. Without his master. Left to live in the shadows of the 'Golden Trio?" With these last words he looked at her and managed a smirk before resting his forehead in his hands.

"No Draco. I've not come to gloat." Hermione rested a hand on his back and soothingly massaged it, moving closer to him. At this intimate touch, he fell into her, so she was cradling him in her arm. "It's ok. I saw you there. I'll make sure they know that you are not to blame for anything."

"Yeah, you say that. But I had no courage like you. I could have turned round to my father and defied him, that's what you three would have done in my position. But no, I'm just a cowardly little Slytherin. Hermione, I'd never say this to you before, but I guess I always looked up to you, and Harry, and Ron. I've been hiding all this time, and I really think it's gone too far to now be the person I want to be. Forget it, I deserve everything I get for what I'm done."

Hermione was shocked, and felt tears spring to her eyes as she heard his heartfelt words. "Draco, no. Come on. It's over now. You can change. You can be the person that you want to, without the restraints of your parents or Voldemort. It's over Draco, it's over." He looked up at her. He couldn't manage a smile but he loosely hugged her. This was the closest she'd ever been to him. She returned the gesture and hugged him. There they sat, in the ruins of Hogwarts, in an embrace that ended seven years of hatred. Hermione thought, thought properly for the first time that she'd entered the common room. 'This is ridiculous, is this happening?' she asked herself before standing up and slipping from the room, the pair in silence, not a backward glance from either of them.

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><p><em>Hey. So, this is my first offering in any form here. I thought it was rather greedy of me to sit and live on other people's writing so thought it may be worth starting something. Anyway, let me know if you liked it, or if you didn't. This will continue in the future, and the plot of the epilogue doesn't exist, well, it wouldn't anyway because not enough time has past. Anyway, all will be explained in the next chapter.<em>

_Thank you,_

_the-music-tree._


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